


Pine Sap and Saltwater

by QueenTzahra



Category: CLAMP - Works, Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle, xxxHoLic
Genre: Armchair Therapy, Belligerent Sexual Tension, Fake Marriage, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Feelings Realization, Hand Jobs, Happy Ending, Idiots in Love, M/M, Therapy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 03:46:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 16,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28860525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenTzahra/pseuds/QueenTzahra
Summary: Yuuko asks Watanuki and Doumeki to infiltrate a retreat for couples contemplating divorce to retrieve a mysterious object. Will they find what they're looking for, or perhaps something more exciting?
Relationships: Doumeki Shizuka & Watanuki Kimihiro, Doumeki Shizuka/Watanuki Kimihiro
Comments: 39
Kudos: 46





	1. The Assignment

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, friends!
> 
> I hope you all had wonderful holidays and New Years! I had this grand plan that after I finished posting Acting Like Armageddon I'd take some time off and relax, but in early December I saw this prompt on Tumblr and just couldn't resist, oops!
> 
> The prompt was exactly like the description says: your ship has to infiltrate a couples retreat for couples contemplating divorce. It was on a blog for a ship I don't really write, but then it occurred to me how absolutely perfect Doumeki and Watanuki would be for this prompt, plus I haven't written anything about them since 2016, so I figured I'd give it a shot. The timing was also good because I'm strung out on Psychology In Seattle reaction videos on Youtube and I know three people in the process of divorcing (I just had my birthday last week and am officially That Old, I guess!) so it feels really nice. Also something light in between Acting Like Armageddon and my big Code Geass project is exactly the right way to start off this already crazy new year, yes?
> 
> Yes!
> 
> So this fic is already done, but I'm not going to try to keep to a weekly posting schedule. It's basically when I have a second you'll get a chapter, but don't worry I won't be dragging my feet, so I hope you'll stick with me!
> 
> Anything else? I don't think so. Okay! Enjoy chapter one!

* * *

When Yuuko told Watanuki she had a new assignment for him, he'd felt his usual reservation. When she told him he'd need to bring Doumeki, he felt his usual irritation. When she sat them down in her back garden (after Watanuki had made them tea and snacks, of course!) and smiled her most gleeful smile, he'd felt downright alarmed.

"I need you to retrieve something for me," she said, in her most serious tone. Watanuki narrowed his eyes, watching her like a bomb that might go off at any moment. "It will appear this weekend at a couples retreat out in the country, so I'll need you two to go undercover-"

" _WHAT?!_ " Watanuki screamed in outrage. He'd done way too many humiliating things working for Yuuko, but surely this went above and beyond the usual threshold! Yuuko just smiled and poured herself another cup of tea, then added a generous measure of whiskey from the carafe Watanuki had filled for her. "IT'S NOT FUNNY, YUUKO-SAN!"

"It's _really_ funny," Yuuko corrected him, before adding, warningly, "but you'd do well to take it seriously regardless." Doumeki took his hands away from his ears to listen properly as Watanuki asked, through gritted teeth,

"Yeah? Why?"

"Because the object I'd like you to retrieve is dangerous," said Yuuko, simply. Watanuki took a deep breath in through his nose and exhaled it through his still clenched teeth, trying and failing to be patient.

"Why, what is it?" Doumeki asked, curiosity just discernible under that usual bored tone that _so_ annoyed Watanuki. Yuuko took another sip of her tea, frowned and added more whiskey before answering, playfully,

"I'm not sure exactly!" Doumeki's hands flew to his ears again.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU AREN'T SURE?!" Watanuki screeched, "HOW DO YOU KNOW IF IT'S DANGEROUS IF YOU AREN'T SURE?!"

"I'm just assuming! Better safe than sorry, don't you agree?" she laughed. "Besides, it'll be more fun finding something we didn't even know we were looking for, right?" Watanuki gripped his hair and let out a moan of frustration before turning to Doumeki.

"And you! Why is ' _what is it?_ ' the only thing you can say?!"

"Is there something else I should say?" asked Doumeki, entirely unconcernedly. He covered the ear closest to Watanuki with one hand and added whiskey to his teacup with the other.

"I- That's, YES!" sputtered Watanuki, outraged. "How about, 'why are we going to a couple's retreat?' or 'why couldn't it be Himawari-chan instead?'"

"That's more a _you_ question," replied Doumeki, sipping his tea and whiskey.

"And it's a good question!" interjected Yuuko, smiling rather slyly at Watanuki. "The retreat is actually for couples going through rough patches trying to build and restore or divorce and part ways, so-" Watanuki opened his mouth to protest, but she forestalled him with a hand gesture, "-it wouldn't make sense to bring Himawari-chan, of whom you're so fond, would it?"

Watanuki glared at Yuuko for a few seconds before slumping back in his chair, his arms and legs crossed so tightly it was as if he were trying to entangle himself permanently. He couldn't argue with Yuuko's logic and was utterly furious about it.

"So what, we're supposed to play being married?" asked Doumeki, as though inquiring about tomorrow's weather.

"Married and on the outs!" replied Yuuko over Watanuki's humiliated groan. "It's just for three nights, so you won't have to be convincing for long." That seemed far too long to Watanuki, but he was too embarrassed even to say that. Having to spend four days pretending to be married, and to _Doumeki_ of all people, all the while trying to retrieve some mysterious artefact Yuuko couldn't even give them details about…

It would be hell. It would literally be hell.


	2. The Plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Good afternoon (depending on your longitude) and Happy Inauguration Day to all my friends in the US!
> 
> Thank you all so much to everyone who has already read and left comments and kudos even on the super short first chapter! All the e-mails have been making my day, I love you all!
> 
> I don't really have much else to say since it's barely been 24 hours, if that, so enjoy Chapter 2!

Thursday morning, Watanuki and Doumeki sat across from each other in a first class train car speeding south towards the little coastal town that was their destination. Doumeki was staring complacently out of the window while Watanuki was glaring at the ceiling. Obviously, they weren't speaking to each other.

Yesterday Watanuki had told Himawari regretfully that he wouldn't see her in school the rest of the week, but rather than look disappointed or sad, she'd smiled her most adorable smile. "Oh yes! Doumeki-kun mentioned you two are going on a trip together!" Even her sweet voice couldn't take away the embarrassing sting of the words.

"It's not! I mean, I," he'd tried to say, but,

"I hope you have a wonderful time!" she'd cut across him, and he held her well wishes in his heart like a protective charm against what was to come.

"I've been thinking," said Doumeki, suddenly, breaking Watanuki out of his resentful reverie.

"You think?" Watanuki shot back, but Doumeki ignored him.

"We should have a cover story, at least so we're on the same page when people ask us why we're at this retreat." Watanuki despised the idea of being on the same page with Doumeki about anything, but he had to admit he had a point. "Especially because I can pass for older, but you always look like a high school student-"

"WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!"

"-so I was thinking," Doumeki continued, his hands over his ears and voice raising by maybe half a decibel, "we eloped-"

"UGH!"

"-because our families didn't approve of our relationship, but a few years in, we've realized marriage is a lot harder than we thought it'd be, and as much as we'd like to, we can't sustain a functional domestic partnership on feelings alone." He waited a moment, then took his hands away from his ears, clasped them in his lap and rested his forearms on his thighs. Watanuki said nothing, and in the stunned silence he felt his anger and disgust ebb away in spite of himself. Doumeki then leaned forward slightly, his expression completely serious, clearly inviting him to give his opinion.

"You've… Thought a lot about this," said Watanuki, eventually. Doumeki just shrugged and Watanuki gripped his hair and cried out in frustration. "WHY IS THAT ALL YOU CAN SAY?!"

"I didn't say anything."

"You know what I mean!" Doumeki tilted his head to the side.

"Were you impressed? Was that a compliment?"

"Of course not! I just didn't think you had the depth for such a good cover story, that's all."

"Ah." Watanuki turned away, muttering darkly, his arms and legs entangling themselves.

The scenery flew past the windows as the train sped them further and further south, leaving the city for lush green countryside. "Did you bring food?" asked Doumeki, after a while.

"Yes," sniffed Watanuki, digging under his seat for the boxes neatly wrapped in cloth. He set them on the little table between them, and Doumeki was on them like a circling vulture. "You could at least say thank you, considering how early I had to get up this morning to prepare all this!" Doumeki looked up at Watanuki, his expression deadpan as ever even with his mouth full of rice and vegetables. He nodded and swallowed.

"We'll be completely convincing on this retreat."

"I WASN'T ACTING!" Watanuki stormed, heat rushing up his neck. Doumeki just shrugged again and Watanuki hugged his knees to his chest and glared out of the window, at the floor, at the ceiling, _anywhere_ but at the person across from him who he hated so much.

They fell into a silence, and an hour or so passed in relative calm, then, "Hey-"

"My name's not 'hey!' You can't call a guy 'hey' at the best of times, but especially not if we're supposed to be married!" Doumeki leaned forward, his expression suddenly serious again.

"Watanuki." Very resentfully, Watanuki turned to face him.

"Yes?"

"We arrive in ten minutes, you should probably pack this up."

Watanuki exploded into a tirade, but got to his feet and began to gather all the empty food containers and put them away with an unnecessary ferocity. Soon enough, the train slowed down and pulled into the station. They gathered their bags and stepped out onto the platform, Watanuki slightly ahead of Doumeki so he didn't have to look at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you all think of Doumeki's plan? It seems to suit them well so far, but...
> 
> I think of comments and kudos when I summon my kekkai, leave me some!


	3. The Arrival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends, so lovely to see you all back at chapter three!
> 
> It feels sort of weird updating so frequently with short little chapters as opposed to my usual grueling schedule of editing and posting every week, but I'm having a great time! This story was super fun to write and it's actually fun to edit (go figure!) but mostly it's fun to update.
> 
> All the support has been such a gift, it makes my day whenever I get more feedback, thank you all so much!
> 
> So this chapter is more building... but also the first time we get to explore what's going on inside with Watanuki. I love him very much (I mean who wouldn't) and I find him really interesting, but especially his total lack of self-preservation and the associated issues. Finally getting to write about it and learn has been very satisfying, so I hope it is to read too.
> 
> I guess I should say at this time that a lot of the names and words here I put together with my INCREDIBLY limited Japanese (the only complete sentence I can say is "I would like some milk tea") so a huge thank you to my friends who actually know the language and to google. That being said, if something sounds funky, that's why. Also this fic is set in some glorious universe where marriage is legal world wide regardless of the gender of the people involved.
> 
> Anything else...? No I don't think so! All right enjoy!

"Do you know where we're going?" asked Doumeki, and Watanuki felt the question like a mosquito in his ear.

" _Yes_ I know where we're going, Yuuko-san told me that much!" Doumeki made no reply and Watanuki forged ahead, muttering darkly until they were out of the station. It had gotten much warmer during their journey, and the summer sun hung directly above them, heavy with its own heat and light. There were taxis lined up, so they picked up the nearest one, and in no time were driving through the pretty little town, then even deeper into the countryside. ' _It is beautiful out here, though_ ,' thought Watanuki, as the road led them into a deep green forest of pine trees, the canopy diffusing the bright afternoon sun into a dappled twilight.

He gave a little shiver, though he wasn't sure why. With Doumeki here the spirits shouldn't be bothering him (it was the one thing he was good for, after all!). That and coming up with romantic cover stories, apparently. ' _We eloped because our parents didn't approve of our relationship._ ' Watanuki thought about it as they drove, trying to imagine himself in the situation and get into some kind of character. However, he was having trouble, both because his parents couldn't be bothered and because it was impossible to think of someone taking on that kind of responsibility for his sake. He flushed and gave another little shiver. If anything, Yuuko had played that role for him, but at least she got a shop slave out of the deal. The fictional Doumeki in this scenario would get nothing. It didn't make sense…

"Hey."

"My name's not 'hey!'" Watanuki snapped, jerked unpleasantly from his thoughts.

"Did Yuuko-san tell you anything else about what we're supposed to find?"

"No," replied Watanuki, irritably, folding his arms across his chest.

"Whatever you're looking for, you'll find it here," the cab driver said, confidently, from the front seat. "Sorry to interrupt, but when I heard where you were going, I was really happy for you, weird as that sounds." Watanuki looked away quickly to hide his blush, but Doumeki leaned forward and raised his eyebrows a millimeter at the driver in the rearview mirror.

"It's all right. Why do you say that?"

"The Aihana Couples Retreat works wonders." Doumeki nodded, urging him to continue. "My wife and I were in a rough patch a few years ago so we decided to try it and it was incredible. I wish we'd done it sooner, honestly; we probably could have spared ourselves the rough patch in the first place."

"That's really good to hear," said Doumeki, and his sincerity made Watanuki's skin crawl. Fortunately, at that moment the trees opened up to reveal a large Japanese style inn that reminded Watanuki forcibly of Yuuko's shop. Their driver pulled right up to the front entrance, careful to avoid the other couples arriving, young and old, all genders, some helping each other, others clearly in conflict. They thanked their driver and got out of the car, and Watanuki looked around curiously for a moment, then, "Let's go."

"Shut up!" Watanuki seized his bags from the trunk and stormed up the sweeping stone steps and into the inn.

The lobby was beautiful, all dark woods and paper screens and soft lights. Watanuki could smell incense, flowers and pine as he and Doumeki joined the cue in front of the reception desk, behind which was a hand carved sign that said "Matsumori Inn." He continued looking around, and caught sight of a young woman off by herself with a few suitcases. She was dressed in a huge sweatshirt despite the heat, and Watanuki could see the dark shadows beneath her eyes even from this distance. However, more than any visual cue, she gave him a strange feeling, one he couldn't place but was definitely intriguing. The man ahead of them stepped out of line with a brochure and an envelope of card keys and approached the young woman. She looked up, and caught Watanuki's eye. He turned away, though she'd definitely seen him staring, and knew yet another little shudder.

"Yuriko?" he heard the man ask.

"What? I'm sorry…"

"Hey, we need the credit card used to make the reservation," came Doumeki's voice from in front of him.

"Ugh…" Watanuki pushed past Doumeki impatiently, but managed to return the receptionist's polite smile.

"Welcome!" she said, graciously, and Watanuki forced himself to focus and gave her his name and Yuuko's ostentatiously heavy credit card. "Kimihiro Watanuki, yes, I see you've booked a suite. Excellent choice, sir." Watanuki had no idea what to say to that since he hadn't made the reservation in the first place, but Doumeki put in,

"We wanted privacy." Watanuki hastily turned his indignant sputter into a hacking cough as he imagined Yuuko's most sadistic laugh as she'd booked the room.

"Entirely understandable," replied the receptionist, typing away at her computer while Watanuki bit back retort after retort. "All right everything's settled, if you could please sign here…" She turned her computer screen around and offered him a stylus. Watanuki seized it and signed the screen with rather more force than was necessary, then thrust it at Doumeki so he could sign too. "Wonderful! You'll be in Suite 7, here are your keys," she extended a small envelope across the desk, "and a brochure with a map. Your room is out this door and through the courtyard. If you need anything, someone is at the desk at all times."

"Thank you," Doumeki and Watanuki said together.

"Please enjoy your stay," said the receptionist, conveniently covering Watanuki's irritated growl. He and Doumeki picked up their bags and headed out through the open door opposite the main entrance.

The courtyard was also beautiful, a simple but glamorous maze of stone pathways and manicured trees and flowers. Large, old fashioned lamp posts were placed about and a shishi-odoshi bubbled softly in a corner. The surrounding forest towered overhead, and they could still hear birds singing and insects chirping over the noises of all the people moving about the inn.

Watanuki opened the brochure and consulted the map, then followed one of the stone paths to a corner of the courtyard. They came upon all the suites, which were smaller versions of the inn's main building with room numbers engraved in gold above the doors. Watanuki took one of the card keys out of the envelope the receptionist had given him, approached Suite 7 and unlocked the door to reveal a small entryway. He stepped out of his shoes and continued inside to a large, well proportioned room with a tatami floor and paper screen walls. A small table sat in the center of the room and was laid with tea supplies, a note, a vase of flowers and a tray of sweets. A bathroom was visible through a door to their left, and the sliding door opposite the entryway was open onto a back porch and a view of the ocean.

Watanuki left his bags beside the table and crossed the room to check it out. His eyes widened at the gorgeous view of the sheltered beach and lapping waves. He took a deep breath in, the smells of the pine forest and saltwater reaching him deep in his chest and belly. As he sighed softly and placed his hands on the railing, he knew a split second of pure contentment-

"Hey."

-only to have it shattered by Doumeki's monotone. Typical. Watanuki muttered a few choice swear words and stormed back inside. "What?!" he demanded. Doumeki had the note from the table in one hand and a sweet in the other.

"It says there's a welcome dinner in the evening. We should probably go." Watanuki balled his hands into fists.

"What time?" he growled, to avoid explicitly agreeing.

"Seven. We've got a few hours." Watanuki clenched his fists.

"Fine. I'm going to unpack."

"Make tea first."

"YOU CAN'T JUST ORDER A GUY AROUND LIKE THAT!" Watanuki exploded, though he still snatched up the electric kettle and went to fill it with water from the sink. In spite of himself, he noted appreciatively that he could set the heat to the exact temperature he wanted. He returned to the main room and plugged it in, checking what kind of tea they had before turning it on. He knew Doumeki was still watching him and was becoming increasingly annoyed about it. "What?!" he snapped, getting to his feet and facing him at last. However, Doumeki just popped another sweet into his mouth. "You shouldn't snack that much before dinner." Doumeki picked up another sweet and looked at it appraisingly for a second before putting it back on the plate.

"Yours are better anyway."

"You-"

But at that moment, the kettle began to boil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, the kettle.
> 
> Any ideas what they're supposed to find yet? I'm excited... Also how nice does this hotel sound? I wanna stay there!
> 
> I think of comments and kudos when I summon my kekkai, leave me some!


	4. The Preliminary Investigation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello hello~ Welcome to Chapter 4, lovely to have you!
> 
> I tried to post this yesterday, but it actually ended up taking the most time to edit, which was surprising given how short it is, but there were lots of random little things that just drove me nuts that added to big things that drove me nuts. Oh well, I'm satisfied now, so I've got an update for you!
> 
> Again we're still building, but I'm excited about where we're going, and I hope you are too.
> 
> I think that's it, please enjoy!

After a cup of tea ("This is good." "OF COURSE IT IS.") and unpacking, Watanuki announced he was going to explore the inn and try to get a lead on whatever they were supposed to find. ("You shouldn't go alone." "WHY NOT?! I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF!") Watanuki stormed from the room, desperate to be away from Doumeki, whose presence was like a constant, itching irritation. However, the moment he was back outside in the courtyard, he felt some invisible barrier around himself fall away, and found he was much more aware of everyone and everything around him: the smells in the air were more intense, the colors seemed more saturated and below the expected sounds of hotel guests and staff, birds, insects and car engines, he could have sworn he heard, or maybe felt, other whispered voices. Watanuki shuddered and shook himself. It wasn't necessarily anything supernatural, the walls of the other suites were just thinner than he'd originally thought.

Watanuki entered the still crowded lobby, then turned a corner onto a corridor where he knew from the map the rest of the guest rooms were. It was completely empty, and the overhead lights added a red orange glow to the sunlight pouring in diffusely through the windows. Watanuki walked slowly forward, his footsteps echoing strangely as he passed door after door. He heard, or felt, more voices behind them, in his chest rather than in his ears. Voices behind some doors were hopeful, others sad, a few were outright hostile.

A sudden crash echoed behind the door immediately to his left and he stopped abruptly, his heart pounding and palms sweating. "I'm sorry!" came a woman's terrified voice from within. Watanuki stiffened, but,

"For what? It was an accident," replied a man's voice, quietly worried rather than accusatory. Watanuki exhaled, though his heart continued to pound and he kept listening with all his might.

"I…"

"Yuriko, why are you crying?"

"I…!"

"You're all right, come here."

"No!"

Watanuki shuddered violently as a sudden rush of fury burst the bounds of the room, making his head spin and stomach churn. He clapped one hand to his mouth and steadied himself against the wall with the other, fighting the powerful rip tide of emotion. When he felt steady enough, he got away from the door as fast as he could, feeling suddenly guilty for eavesdropping, but,

' _Yuriko,_ ' he thought. Was it the same Yuriko he'd seen in the lobby and had given him that weird feeling? And, if so, was what he'd overheard and felt because of whatever issues had brought her and her husband here, or was she somehow connected to the object he and Doumeki were supposed to find?

Still feeling rather sick and with no other leads, Watanuki returned to his and Doumeki's suite. "Where are you?!" he called. He flushed. He'd intended the question as a demand, but the effect was totally ruined by his obvious relief as proximity to Doumeki raised the invisible barrier against all of the voices and feelings.

"Out here," replied Doumeki from the back porch. Watanuki stomped through the suite to go join him, grateful (but annoyed nonetheless) as his breath and heartbeat slowed still further. Doumeki was sitting on one of the lounge chairs, drinking another cup of tea and polishing his bow.

"What did you bring that for?" asked Watanuki, again trying and failing for his usual demanding tone. "I hope we don't get kicked out of here for being _armed_." Doumeki faced him, and the smallest of creases appeared between his eyebrows.

"What happened to you?"

"What?"

"You're agitated."

"I am not _agitated!_ " Doumeki just stared at him, and he took a deep breath in and replied in a low growl, "Did you see that lady in the lobby wearing the huge sweatshirt? Her husband was ahead of you in line to check in." Doumeki poured another cup of tea and held it out to Watanuki, who glared at it. "You can't offer a guy tea _he_ made!" A brief pause.

"Suit yourself," replied Doumeki. However, before he could drink it himself, Watanuki snatched the cup from him and threw himself into another chair, sipping slowly, because it really was good tea. "I don't think I saw who you're talking about," continued Doumeki, "why?"

"Typical. Well _I_ think she might be connected to what we're looking for!" Doumeki tilted his head to the side, clearly hoping Watanuki would elaborate. However, when he tried to tell Doumeki what he'd heard, his chest constricted painfully, as though trying to contain the words.

"Hey-"

"My name's not 'hey!'" Watanuki snapped, though he was genuinely surprised to see Doumeki looking so concerned. Or as close as his deadpan features could get to looking concerned. He cleared his throat and drank more tea. "I'll point her out when I see her at dinner, but she gives me a weird feeling." Doumeki just nodded, his concerned stare still fixed upon Watanuki. "That's the most expressive I've ever seen your stupid face," said Watanuki, with dignity, "I'm going to change for dinner!"

Positive he'd had the best of the encounter, Watanuki got to his feet and went back inside, slamming the sliding door shut behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Making tea for someone or having someone make tea for me is absolutely one of my love languages, what about you?
> 
> I think of comments and kudos when I summon my kekkai, leave me some!


	5. The Welcome Dinner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good evening!
> 
> I'm so happy to see you all here at chapter 5! I wasn't sure I'd be able to post this today because I was super busy with work all day (my day job is one of those that's busiest when 9-5ers aren't working) so I'm pleased to have pulled it off.
> 
> Other than that there's not much more to say about this chapter, it's just more building, more information, more of Doumeki's awesome cover story, but I hope you all enjoy it regardless!

"Welcome to the Aihana Couples Retreat!" exclaimed the smartly dressed older lady at the front of the open air dining room, clapping her hands together. "My name is Dr. Tsubaki Hanada, and I'm the founder and leader of this retreat. I'll be looking forward to meeting you all over the next few days!" Watanuki, who was sitting at a round table with Doumeki and another couple (not the couple of interest, they were seated a few tables away) muttered darkly under his breath. "If there's anything that I or my colleagues can do to make your time here better, please don't hesitate to ask. You'll find individual schedules back in your rooms after dinner that include therapy appointments-" ("That include what?!" "Be quiet please.") "-but in the meantime, please enjoy your dinner and drinks, the staff has done an incredible job!"

The room broke into applause, and the doctor stepped down to join her colleagues. Immediately, hotel staff appeared at Doumeki and Watanuki's table with a gorgeous selection of local fare for dinner. Suddenly starving, Watanuki dug in at once. It was all delicious, especially since he didn't have to cook it.

"Yours is better," Doumeki muttered to him, apparently having the same thought.

"You just like putting me to work," Watanuki shot back, resentfully. Across the table, the young woman giggled into her own dinner, and Doumeki and Watanuki looked up.

"Sorry!" she exclaimed, blushing, "I just-"

"It's all right," Doumeki cut across her, graciously, "it's a small table. Easy to overhear." She smiled gratefully, and Doumeki's lip twitched for a second.

"I'm Sumire, this is my husband, Fujito." Fujito nodded at Doumeki and Watanuki, who both said hello and introduced themselves.

"How long have you two been together?" asked Doumeki politely.

"Together for ten years, married for seven," replied Fujito, and Sumire nodded. Neither of them seemed to take particular pleasure in saying it.

"We met in high school and got married shortly after we took our college entrance exams," said Sumire, and pleasure was scarce in that too.

"Oh? So did we," said Doumeki, and Watanuki's face burned as he resolved himself to what was about to happen.

"I was going to say, you two seem way too young for something like this," said Sumire, and Fujito rolled his eyes.

"We started dating our second year of high school," said Doumeki, composedly, and Watanuki was again surprised by how ready he was with the story. "Unfortunately, our families didn't approve of our relationship when we told them after graduation. Threatened to disown us if we stayed together and everything." Sumire gasped and clapped her hands to her mouth. "So that night I proposed, and we eloped."

"Wow…" Watanuki glared across the room, his face as red as the setting sun outside. Did he have to go into such detail?!

"I didn't have a ring, obviously," Doumeki continued, because apparently he _did_ have to go into such detail. "I wasn't planning on proposing for a few more years and only after we'd discussed it, so I pulled a stray thread from my shirt cuff and tied it around his finger."

"What?!" cried both Sumire and Watanuki at the same time. Doumeki, whose expression had not altered a whit from his usual deadpan boredom, faced Watanuki expectantly, as if he'd just continue on this absurd fairytale. Sumire, and now Fujito, were watching keenly, and he knew he had to say something. Trying to contain his rage, he said, very awkwardly,

"Y-yes! And then-" but at that moment Doumeki placed his hand tenderly on Watanuki's wrist. He felt the touch white hot up his arm and it took all of his already worn down self control not to scream and jerk his hand away. He glared at Doumeki, who just stared back, his expression still the same as ever.

"Hey. Breathe." His tone wasn't one Watanuki heard often: soft and easy, but it did nothing to calm him. He closed his eyes, willing himself not to snap as he took a deep breath in through his nose and sighed it out. He then forced his eyes open and faced the other couple so he wouldn't have to look at Doumeki or think about the fact that he was still touching him.

"We took the train south and got married the next day," he said, quite calmly given that he was practically gagging on the words. "We moved into an apartment together once we got back home."

"Oh my," said Sumire, her eyes huge.

"Do you speak to your parents?" asked Fujito, and Watanuki could discern sympathy under his hard tone.

"No, unfortunately," said Doumeki, "part of why we're here is to try and bridge that gap. We thought professional help would be a good idea." Both Sumire and Fujito nodded. Finally, Doumeki took his hand off Watanuki's wrist, while at the same time Fujito put his arm around the back of Sumire's chair. Watanuki's heart skipped at Sumire's surprised smile, and the four of them finished their dinner in silence. Dessert was served shortly after, and under their server's elbow, Watanuki caught sight of Yuriko getting up and making her way to the large rectangular table where all their drinks were served.

Seizing his chance, Watanuki snatched up his glass of water, got to his feet and approached the table too, draining it surreptitiously so as not to look suspicious. Close up, he could see just how tired Yuriko looked. She picked up a set of metal tongs and began to put ice cubes into her half empty water glass, then started when she caught sight of Watanuki beside her. "Oh, I'm sorry, did you want these?" she asked, extending the tongs. Watanuki smiled and took them, and in the few seconds they were both holding them, he felt a searing pain in his chest. Yuriko let go of the tongs, leaving him gasping. "Are you okay?" she asked, her eyes widening, but Watanuki waved the words aside as he caught his breath.

"I'm fine, sorry! I just, I just got dizzy for a moment."

"Right," she said, holding her glass of ice water tightly in both hands. "Well, I'll, I'll see you around." She turned and walked back to her table, looking sadly into her glass.

Watanuki waited for his heartbeat to slow, then filled his own glass with ice and water and went back to his table. His dessert was waiting for him, and though it looked beautiful, he was suddenly feeling rather sick. "Do you want to go back to the room?" Doumeki asked under his breath, apparently picking up on his distress at once. Too queasy to be annoyed about that, Watanuki just nodded. "It was nice meeting you, have a good rest of your night," Doumeki told Sumire and Fujito, and they bid them goodnight. Doumeki helped Watanuki to his feet and led him to the door with his hand on his lower back.

"That's making it worse!" Watanuki hissed, even though proximity to Doumeki was already making his symptoms abate.

"It's just to look convincing until we get out of here," Doumeki hissed back, and the moment they were out in the hallway again Watanuki scuttled away from him, shaking himself like a wet dog. Doumeki rolled his eyes, but followed him down the hallway and out into the courtyard. It was completely dark now, and the lanterns were all lit, their red orange glow mixing softly with the blue black night. "Feeling better?" asked Doumeki, as they made their way along the stone path.

"Yes, now you've unhanded me!" snapped Watanuki.

"That was the lady you were talking about?"

" _Yes_ ," replied Watanuki, flinging open the door to their suite, "if you'd just been paying attention earlier, I wouldn't have-" but on the threshold he stopped dead in his tracks, his mouth hanging open, the sight inside making him feel even sicker than before. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd say "oh now what's making Watanuki freak out like that?!" but so many things make him freak out like that it's not a great question.
> 
> Ahh well, we'll find out next chapter I suppose! Let me know what you think of this one in the meantime!
> 
> I think of comments and kudos when I summon my kekkai, leave me some!


	6. The Turndown Service

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, I'm happy to be back so soon!
> 
> Are you ready to find out what Watanuki was freaking out about?! I know I am! Let's get into it!

During dinner, someone had come in to replace the tea supplies, clean up the room and set up their futons, except that there was just _one_ futon, upon which were two cotton yukata, two chocolates and one glossy retreat schedule.

"It's a couple's retreat, what did you expect?" asked Douemki, placidly, his hands over his ears.

"HOW CAN YOU BE SO CALM?!"

"It's just sharing a bed, who cares?"

"I DO! The only person I'd ever want to share a bed with is Himawari-chan!" Doumeki stared at him silently for a full ten seconds before finally taking his hands away from his ears.

"Suit yourself, but I'm sleeping here."

"You-"

"If you want another futon I'm sure you could call the front desk and get one, but you can't tell me that wouldn't look suspicious." Now it was Watanuki's turn to glare for ten silently seething seconds. There was no arguing with this.

"Just stay far away from me," he said, to avoid admitting it. Doumeki just shrugged, picked up a chocolate and the retreat schedule and took them, along with Watanuki's dessert, out onto the back porch. Watanuki let out a cry of frustration, seized one of the yukata and stormed into the bathroom to shower and change.

When he emerged after taking as long as he possibly could, he was pleased to find Doumeki still on the back porch and out of his way. He was about to get into bed, stake out as much space for himself as possible, when, "Hey." Watanuki closed his eyes and took a deep breath before stomping out onto the porch.

"What?"

"You should look at the schedule and see what events you want to go to."

"What?" Watanuki repeated, confused rather than aggressive this time. Doumeki shoved the schedule under his nose.

"It'll look suspicious if we don't show our faces somewhere." In some trepidation, Watanuki took the schedule, opened it and looked it up and down. He wasn't really sure what to expect, but what he did see was a relief: hiking excursions, cooking classes, a boat trip, although the times blocked off for "Therapy" made his stomach contract. "Our session with a couples therapist is tomorrow after breakfast, by the way."

"I know, I just _saw_ ," replied Watanuki in profound disgust. If anything were to help his and Doumeki's relationship (his stomach heaved even thinking it) it would have to be far more drastic. "Aside from that, it doesn't seem- AH!"

"What?"

"Did you see- _WHAT?!_ Rebuilding Intimacy?! Basics of Tantra?! Learning To Make Love?!" He pointed a shaking finger at all the after dinner events and glared at Doumeki, expecting him to be outraged as well. However, he just fixed Watanuki with his usual deadpan stare.

"Again, it's a couples retreat, what did you expect?"

"I," but Watanuki had no real answer to this, because like with the single bed, it made total sense as much as he hated to admit it. "I just didn't think they'd be so blatant about it," he muttered, heat rushing up his neck and face.

"We don't have to go to any of those if it bothers you," said Doumeki, shrugging and getting to his feet.

"WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!" Doumeki faced him, his expression the same as ever, and Watanuki stiffened at how close they were to each other, at how much taller and broader Doumeki was.

"If it bothers you, we don't have to go to any of those events," he said, as though it were obvious, which Watanuki supposed it was, except- Watanuki balled his hands into fists and let out a menacing growl, but before he could actually form a come back, "Let's take that yoga class tomorrow morning, though."

"YOU CAN'T JUST-" but Doumeki was already heading back inside. The bathroom door slammed in the distance, and Watanuki yelled out into the night, "HE MAKES ME SO MAD!" However, the only responses he got were crashing waves, chirping insects and hooting owls.

Still seething, Watanuki stormed back inside, threw himself onto the futon and curled up under the blankets, staying as close to the edge as possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know I've been reading and writing fanfiction a long time, but this trope never, EVER gets old.
> 
> I think of comments and kudos when I summon my kekkai, leave me some!


	7. The Dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again, everybody! Two updates in one day, how do you like that?
> 
> Truth is I had tons of free time today, just a few clients and no time consuming errands. It was super nice for obvious reasons, but also because I could work on two different fanfic projects! Also all of the feedback and love I've been getting on this has kept me super motivated, so thank you all so much!
> 
> So this chapter... I know the single bed was kind of a tease, but I'm afraid nothing too exciting happens. Not yet, anyway. I'll let you see for yourselves~

" _I don't know what's wrong with me, I'm sorry!"_

" _I want to help you! Help_ us! _"_

" _What if there is no help?! You'll abandon me!"_

" _How can you say such a thing?!"_

Watanuki sat bolt upright, gasping for breath and drenched in cold sweat, his pounding heart and whirling mind flooded with so many colors and sounds and feelings he felt he might drown in it. He reached out blindly for something, _anything_ , and his hand found Doumeki's arm. "Watanuki?" His name reached him under the flood and yanked him back up above the water. "Watanuki, what happened?" But Watanuki was still gasping and shuddering too hard to form words. "Breathe." He was vaguely aware of Doumeki taking hold of his upper arms. "Breathe with me. In… Then out… Yes. Again." Watanuki came down by degrees, matching his breath with the words until at last he got his wits about him. "Are you all right?" Doumeki asked, in a similar tone to how he'd spoken at dinner, but even more so, the way he spoke after their most dangerous missions for Yuuko.

"I'm, I'm okay," he managed to reply, shakily. He looked into Doumeki's face, the only clear image in the dark haze of night time without his glasses. His usual expression was taut with concern. "I'm, okay," Watanuki said again, "it was just a nightmare."

"That wasn't a nightmare," Doumeki contradicted him. "It was that girl, Yuriko, wasn't it?" Watanuki flushed and tried to wriggle out of Doumeki's strong grip.

"Get off," he snapped. Doumeki let go at once, but in the brief struggle, Watanuki's yukata was pulled down over his shoulder, revealing his flushed, sweaty chest. He cried out and rushed to cover himself up, blushing even deeper and turning away, though of course not much was visible in the darkness. He fixed his yukata, muttering angrily, then seized his glasses and shoved them on. When he finally turned around, he found Doumeki was beside him, holding out a glass of water.

"Please don't argue," he said, preemptively.

"URGH!" However, Watanuki seized the glass and drank half the water in one gulp, knowing an immediate, deep relief in spite of himself.

"Will you tell me what happened?" asked Doumeki. Watanuki finished the rest of the water, took a deep breath in and sighed it out before answering.

"I did see Yuriko," he said, staring into his empty glass. As usual, he hated to admit Doumeki was right, but there was nothing to be done about that. "She was arguing with her husband."

"Do you remember what they were arguing about?" asked Doumeki, quietly. Watanuki thought hard, his knuckles whitening around the glass.

"She said, 'I don't know what's wrong with me,'" he replied, slowly, furrowing his brow as more words seemed to flow from some unknown spring in his chest, "which makes me wonder if she's being possessed. Yuuko-san's talked about that before, and," he looked up at Doumeki, "that would also explain why I get so affected being near her." Doumeki nodded, his expression unchanging, though his eyes were unusually intense in the darkness. A moment's silence passed. "Well, say something!" snapped Watanuki, and it was comforting to return to his usual impatience and irritation.

"What else is there to say? I agree with you for once."

"For once?!" Doumeki took his hands off his ears before replying.

"So the question is: how do we get close enough to her to figure out what's going on without you passing out?" Watanuki growled a few swear words and threats in reply. "Our best shot is probably to do an activity with her and her husband."

"Don't decide things without me!"

"Did I decide anything?" Doumeki asked, patiently. "And like I said, we don't have to do any of the after dinner ones."

"SHUT UP!" Watanuki exploded, scrambling to his feet to go refill his glass of water, spewing more vitriol the whole time.

"Tomorrow let's find out what their plans are," said Doumeki, when Watanuki returned, sipping on his water.

"Fine," he replied, grudgingly, though he agreed it was the best course of action. He placed his water beside the futon, took off his glasses and crawled back under the covers.

"Are you sure you're all right?" asked Doumeki.

"Yes," replied Watanuki, through gritted teeth. Doumeki was still watching him. Watanuki pulled the blankets up to his chin, rolled onto his side to face away and curled in snugly around himself. He shut his eyes tight, but didn't hear Doumeki lie down again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just let him take care of you, Watanuki, for goodness sake! But of course, that wouldn't be nearly as entertaining.
> 
> I think of comments and kudos when I summon my kekkai, leave me some!


	8. The Encounter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everybody! Good- well I guess it's afternoon now.
> 
> I meant to update this earlier but unlike Monday yesterday was insanely chaotic. Work, a very intense acupuncture appointment, trying to get a Covid test and this huge issue with the other project I'm working on (shameless self-promotion time: hit me up in a few months for a Code Geass AU!) left me feeling pretty strapped. Fortunately everything is resolved now, I don't have coronavirus (just a deeply annoying cold) and I have today off!
> 
> Anyway, enough about my personal life LOL.
> 
> Honestly there isn't much to say about this chapter, it's more building and shaping, although we do get some more time with the mysterious Yuriko, so that's a plus. Also some more awkwardness between our protagonists, so that's a BIG plus. I hope you all enjoy it!

After a surprisingly restful sleep, Watanuki woke up in a warm, contented ball under the blankets. Without opening his eyes, he rolled over onto his back, stretched his arms and legs long and accidentally backhanded Doumeki in the face. His eyes flew open and he scrambled away at once, any and all relaxation gone in a flash of horror. Doumeki groaned and sat up, holding his forehead. "Good morning to you, too," he said, his expression falling into his usual deadpan stare as soon as he opened his eyes.

"Why were you sleeping so close to me?!" demanded Watanuki.

"'Sorry' would also be appropriate," replied Doumeki, rubbing his forehead. Then, when Watanuki opened his mouth to snap back, "Did you have any more weird dreams?"

"No, but-"

"All right then."

"Ugh…" Watanuki seethed, finding his glasses under the now disheveled blankets and putting them on. His vision clear now, he watched Doumeki get to his feet and approach the wardrobe across the room.

"Let's go to breakfast and see if we can find Yuriko."

"DON'T DECIDE-" but at that moment Doumeki pulled his yukata down over his shoulder. "AT LEAST WARN A GUY FIRST!" Watanuki exclaimed, scrambling to his feet. He sprinted into the bathroom and, still venting and cursing, slammed the door.

Fifteen minutes later, Doumeki and Watanuki were washed and dressed and crossing the courtyard to the inn's main building. It was a beautiful day: the sun hung overhead in the cloudless sky and the warm air was full of the sounds and smells of the surrounding sea and pine trees.

The dining room was already full of people, and Sumire and Fujito waved at them from a crowded table as they entered. They smiled and waved back, then, "Hey," Doumeki hissed in Watanuki's ear.

"What?! And my name's not 'hey!' I keep telling you…" However, Doumeki pointed discreetly at Yuriko and her husband, alone at another table across the room. They immediately made a b-line for them, and both Yuriko and her husband looked up.

"Is it all right if we take these seats?" asked Doumeki, politely.

"Certainly," replied Yuriko's husband. Yuriko herself was watching Watanuki, and he gave her a friendly smile.

"I saw you yesterday," she said, her voice rather hoarse, playing with the sleeve of the huge sweatshirt she'd been wearing the day before.

"Yes, but I never got your name," he said, because he didn't want to admit he knew her name from eavesdropping, "I'm Kimihiro Watanuki, by the way."

"Yuriko," she replied, quietly. Watanuki then looked to her husband.

"I'm Renjiro," he said, smiling graciously, "and your partner?" Watanuki cringed inwardly, but,

"Shizuka Doumeki." They inclined their heads at each other.

"How long have you two been together?" asked Renjiro.

Watanuki gave Doumeki a curt little nod and he began to tell their cover story. Renjiro leaned forward interestedly, and close up Watanuki noticed the dark circles under his eyes. Yuriko, however, looked thoroughly uninterested in the proceedings. In fact, when she happened to catch Watanuki's eye again, she rolled her own. Watanuki had no idea how to respond to that or what it meant, so he just nodded. Yuriko looked rather taken aback, but smiled, which made Watanuki shudder. He then started as Doumeki placed his hand on his thigh under the table. Fortunately, before the outrage could properly set in, an inn staff member appeared with breakfast, which looked just as good as dinner last night.

"Are you okay?" Doumeki asked, under the cover of the disruption.

"I'm fine, now get off!" Watanuki hissed. Doumeki stared at him for a few more seconds, then took his hand off his thigh, turned away and began to eat. Watanuki shook himself and did the same, and a few moments passed in silence.

"Are there any activities or events you two are interested in?" asked Doumeki.

"That hike this afternoon sounds really nice," said Renjiro, looking at Yuriko for confirmation. However, she just shrugged, pushing her food around.

"We were thinking the same," said Doumeki, as though it were a happy coincidence. Yuriko perked up at once.

"So we'll see you there," she said, smiling sideways at Watanuki. Renjiro looked surprised, but gratified, and placed his hand on top of hers.

"It's right after our first therapy session, so I figured it'd be good timing," he continued, trying to inject as much confidence as he could into the words.

"Do you think it will help?" asked Doumeki. "We've never tried anything like this before, so…"

"I hope so. I'll try anything," said Renjiro, his voice constricting suddenly. He cleared his throat. Beside him, Yuriko sighed and inched closer to Watanuki, who inched closer to Doumeki, who said,

"I understand." Renjiro nodded appreciatively, then got to his feet.

"I'm going to refill my coffee, does anyone need anything?" Doumeki and Watanuki shook their heads. "Yuriko, do you want-"

"No," she replied, coldly. Renjiro just sighed and made his way to the drinks table. The moment he was out of earshot, Yuriko leaned even closer to Watanuki. "You got together so young, don't you feel like you've missed out?" she asked, under her breath.

"Missed out?" Watanuki repeated, with another shudder. Yuriko tilted her head to the side, and her eyes flashed, or maybe they just caught the light. Either way, Watanuki took a sharp breath in and immediately felt Doumeki's hand on his thigh again. Fortunately, Renjiro returned at that moment with fresh coffee, which distracted Yuriko, though Doumeki didn't take his hand away.

"So how did you two meet?" Doumeki asked next, directing the question to Yuriko, who closed her eyes to hide the fact that she was rolling them.

"College. We were on a study abroad trip together." Her eyes flashed again when she opened them, and Doumeki squeezed Watanuki's thigh, but then her entire aspect seemed to crumple, and she hugged her own mug of coffee in closer to her chest. Renjiro put his hand on her shoulder, but she looked away. With a sad little sigh, he began to tell some anecdote from that trip. Yuriko didn't seem to be listening, she just stared morosely into her coffee, until,

"Yuriko? We should go, we've only got a few minutes," Renjiro said, when they'd all finished their breakfast. Yuriko set her mug back on the table, then caught Watanuki's eye one final time and stared him hard in the face. Her eyes flashed yet again, and Doumeki dug his fingers into Watanuki's thigh. "We'll see you for the hike," said Renjiro, getting to his feet. He extended his hand to Yuriko, but she gave it a cold look before standing up and leading him out of the hall. She cast one more look at Watanuki over her shoulder, making him shudder.

The moment they turned the corner, Watanuki glared at Doumeki. "Get your hand off my thigh!" Doumeki, however, leaned in closer.

"Are you okay?" Watanuki swore under his breath, seized Doumeki's wrist and lifted his hand off his thigh himself.

"Of course I am. You-" but he broke off, because the idea of admitting that having Doumeki there lessened the negative effects made him feel sick, even though they both knew it was true.

"We should go to our session too," said Doumeki, checking the time on the schedule he'd brought with him.

"We aren't seriously going to that, are we?!" cried Watanuki, scandalized.

"It'll look suspicious if we don't," Doumeki pointed out, shrugging.

"You- ugh…" As ever, there was no arguing with Doumeki's logic, even though it killed him to admit it. "I think you bruised my thigh," he said instead, with as much dignity as he could. Doumeki just stared back at him unflinchingly, then got to his feet.

"Sorry."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mm, the plot thickens! What do you all think is going on? Possession? A malicious spirit? A curse? Oh my!
> 
> Anyway, I'll see you all soon for some armchair couples therapy!
> 
> I think of comments and kudos when I summon my kekkai, leave me some!


	9. The Session

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good morning, everyone! I'm a little groggy from this cold and the cold medicine I took, but! This is the chapter I was most excited to write and the chapter I'm most excited to post, without question, but beforehand I've gotta give a disclaimer, because who doesn't love a good disclaimer?
> 
> I AM NOT A COUPLES THERAPIST. I am not a mental health professional of any kind. If you were expecting legit couples therapy you are unfortunately in the wrong place.
> 
> Although I've gotta give a shout out to Psychology In Seattle's youtube channel (specifically the 90 Day Fiance reaction videos) for giving me tons of inspiration and information. Definitely check them out, if anything, for the doctor's cats.
> 
> Regardless, this chapter was super fun to write because for goodness sake SOMEONE needed to say this to Watanuki, it might as well be this nice doctor! I love Watanuki but HELP. Doumeki puts up with a lot. I hope you all like this chapter too!

Doumeki consulted the schedule and map one more time, then got up from the table and led a still fuming Watanuki out of the dining room and around a corner to a hallway lined with doors to the conference rooms set aside for therapy sessions. ' _So what if it would look suspicious?!_ ' Watanuki thought, viciously, surely they didn't _need_ to be doing this, surely they'd have done better to follow Yuriko and Renjiro and try and eavesdrop or something, what was Doumeki thinking?! Well, he _didn't_ think. Obviously. That was one of the many, _many_ reasons he made Watanuki so frustrated all the time!

"Here," said Doumeki, stopping abruptly after consulting the schedule a final time. Watanuki walked on a few steps before he realized what had happened, then did an awkward about face and stomped back over to the door Doumeki had indicated, cursing. Doumeki gave him a look, then knocked, and a friendly voice from inside called,

"Come in!" Doumeki pushed the door open and they found themselves in a room with paper screened walls like their suite, though it had a carpeted floor and a matching couch and chair with a table between them. Another shishi-odoshi gently splashed on the sill of the open window, in front of which stood a middle aged woman with sharp, intelligent eyes, wearing a black skirt suit and her hair in a high ponytail. "Good morning, I'm Dr. Sakurai," she said, her soft voice contrasting with her rather austere appearance.

"Shizuka Doumeki, nice to meet you."

"Kimihiro Watanuki." She shook both of their hands with another warm smile.

"Very nice to meet you as well, please make yourselves comfortable." She sat down on the chair while Doumeki took one side of the couch and Watanuki took the other, thinking grudgingly of the one bed they'd have to share again that night. "So tell me what brings you in today," said Dr. Sakurai, picking up a clipboard and pen from the table and balancing it on her knee. Watanuki turned at once to Doumeki, because he always told their cover story. He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees and chin in his hands.

"Well, we've been having problems." Watanuki rolled his eyes. "It seems like we're on opposite sides of every issue and that we can't ever reach each other." Doumeki's expression was unchanging, except for his eyes looking regretfully towards the floor rather than at the doctor.

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Dr. Sakurai, tilting her head to the side.

"We got married under unusual circumstances," Doumeki pressed on, and he told her their story. Watanuki's palms began to sweat and he prayed she'd believe them. There was no obvious reason she wouldn't, but something about her gave him the feeling that she could see through deception easier than most people. Fortunately, she just listened, nodded and made occasional notes. "At the time, getting married seemed like the obvious solution, because it would force people to recognize our relationship, but now," Doumeki broke off with a sigh and slight shrug of his shoulders. Watanuki rolled his eyes again.

"Right," said Dr. Sakurai, "so what I'm hearing is now you're learning what it really means to be in this type of intimate partnership." Doumeki nodded and Watanuki crossed his arms and legs and looked away to hide his distasteful expression. "And ultimately you'd like to reduce conflict and increase intimacy." Watanuki shuddered at the last word. "Unless I misheard?" She turned to Watanuki, her eyes widening curiously. "What do you think?" He flushed deeply.

"What?! Oh, um, reduce conflict and increase intimacy, sounds good!" Dr. Sakurai said nothing, and Watanuki's already hot flush burned brighter. "What?!" he demanded, "I agree!"

"Yes, but you're also raising your voice and red in the face," Dr. Sakurai pointed out, concerned rather than teasing.

"He does this a lot," said Doumeki, entirely seriously.

"YOU AREN'T HELPING!"

"All right, hold on a minute," said Dr. Sakurai, raising her voice a fraction and placing her pen free hand up in front of her in a stopping gesture. "Let's talk about this calmly." Watanuki closed his eyes, willing himself to be patient as he took a deep breath in and sighed it out. His temper calmed by maybe half a degree, but his face continued to burn. "All right. If reducing conflict and increasing intimacy aren't necessarily goals, may I ask you another question?"

"Yes," replied Watanuki, as calmly as he could.

"If you had to say on a scale from one to ten, one being one foot out the door and ten being fully committed, how invested are you in this relationship?" Watanuki's eyes widened behind his glasses and he forgot his irritation completely. He opened his mouth, but truly had no idea how to answer. "I know it can be a hard question, but it's nothing set it stone, I'm just trying to get a feel for where you are in this moment." Still Watanuki had no idea how to answer. He wrapped his arms and legs tighter around himself.

"I, well, that's- You go first!" he snapped, pointing aggressively at Doumeki. Any normal person would shove his hand away, ' _Or at least roll his eyes_ ,' Watanuki thought. However, Doumeki just looked into Watanuki's face, then took his extended hand in both his own. Watanuki shuddered and glared back at him, about to open his mouth to snap, but then Doumeki said, very seriously,

"Ten."

Any nasty reply Watanuki might have made died in his throat as he felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. "I, but," he managed, after a moment, digging his fingers into Doumeki's surprisingly warm hands. "I didn't ask you for _any_ of this, you know!" he managed, and though it felt good to vent his temper and to squeeze Doumeki's hand so hard it must have hurt, he felt his throat begin to burn.

"You didn't ask for any of this?" asked Dr. Sakurai.

"No!" Watanuki cried, in a much higher voice than usual. He cleared his throat. "No, I didn't!"

"All right," said Dr. Sakurai, "and how are you feeling about it?"

"He's always doing things I didn't ask him for!" snapped Watanuki.

"That's not a feeling, that's a judgement," Dr. Sakurai reminded him, kindly, and Watanuki let out an infuriated growl and yanked his hand out of Doumeki's grip. "So how are you feeling about it?" Watanuki stared at her blankly, suddenly realizing he had no idea how to answer the question. "There's no wrong answer. Hurt? Frustrated? Resentful?"

"Frustrated," Watanuki decided, because it wasn't like that wasn't true. Beside him, Doumeki placed his forearms on his thighs and his chin in his hands.

"You're frustrated by the fact that Shizuka does things you don't ask for?"

"Yes!" snapped Watanuki, and in that moment, he realized just how true it was. "Like I said, I never asked for any of this!"

"Any of what?" asked Dr. Sakurai, making a little note on her clipboard and leaning forward. "Do you mean just marrying you or are there other things?" Watanuki's eyes widened. He'd completely forgotten that she thought they were talking about their cover story and not their actual circumstances. He flushed and wrapped his arms around himself again, thinking about the question. His first thoughts were that he kept the spirits away and allowed him to be around Himawari-chan safely, but there were also smaller things like helping him out with jobs for Yuuko-San, or rescuing him from the associated dangerous circumstances. Of course, he couldn't say any of that to the doctor.

"Well," he began, eventually, looking into Dr. Sakurai's face to avoid catching Doumeki's eye. "I guess, committing to me, sacrificing for me, putting himself in danger for me when I'd never ask him to do any of that!" His voice rose dramatically as he spoke. "Then expecting me to be grateful afterwards!" He gave a little shiver and his throat burned painfully. The shishi-odoshi splashed in the following silence.

"Mmhmm," replied Dr. Sakurai, making another little note on her clipboard. The shishi-odoshi splashed again.

"I don't need you to be grateful," said Doumeki, so quietly that both Watanuki and Dr. Sakurai almost missed it. Watanuki snapped his gaze to Doumeki, who was once more staring down at his clasped hands.

"What does that mean?! You can't just say stuff like that!" exploded Watanuki at a much lower volume than usual. Doumeki faced him again, and his gaze was like an electric charge even through his bored expression.

"It means I didn't do any of that because I wanted something from you," he said, still very quietly. Watanuki opened his mouth, found he had nothing to say, closed it again and turned wide eyed to Dr. Sakurai, silently demanding an explanation.

"So what I'm hearing," she said, slowly, "is a lot of resentment from you, Kimihiro."

"Yeah, well," muttered Watanuki, darkly.

"But underneath I think I'm hearing some guilt." Watanuki had no reply to this so he just continued to stare at her, and she went on, "Maybe rather than questioning Shizuka's motives or getting frustrated by his actions, you might start to look at why you don't think someone would care about you or look after you without hoping to gain something. Don't you think you deserve to be cared about and looked after?" Again, Watanuki had no idea what to say to that, so he just stared blankly at the doctor. For a whole minute, the only sound was the shishi-odoshi. "How are you feeling, Shizuka?" asked Dr. Sakurai, eventually, leaving Watanuki to continue to stare blankly ahead of him. Doumeki took a deep breath in and sighed it out.

"Validated," he said. He turned to Watanuki, clearly expecting him to lash out, but still he said nothing. Dr. Sakurai nodded, made one last note and checked her watch.

"Well, that's time," she said, smiling, "tonight just keep thinking about what we discussed," she cast a sideways glance at Watanuki, "and if you have any questions or insights, I'll be around. Of course, if you want to book another session, we can do that as well." Still smiling, she stood up, and Doumeki and Watanuki did too. "It was very nice meeting both of you." She shook both of their hands again.

"Very nice meeting you, thank you for your help," Doumeki told her. He placed his hand carefully on Watanuki's lower back and led him out of the room. With one last splash of the shishi-odoshi, they were out the door.

"Are you okay?" asked Doumeki, the moment the door fell shut behind them.

"What?" asked Watanuki, the question taking a long time to travel from his ears to his brain.

"Are you-"

"Of course I am!" Watanuki snapped, finally making the connection, before adding, for good measure, "Get off." Doumeki took his hand away somewhat reluctantly, and Watanuki sighed impatiently. "Come on, we have to get ready for this hike now."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man he's feeling some type of way... What do you all think?
> 
> I think of comments and kudos when I summon my kekkai, leave me some!


	10. The Hike

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good evening, everyone!
> 
> It feels weird to be posting a new chapter late like this, but this chapter actually took me a weirdly long time to edit and I only just got it to a good place. Also it's freezing outside so forget going anywhere tonight!
> 
> I hope you're all doing well, thanks for sticking with the story so far! We're still building, but if we think of it like a roller coaster ride, we're almost at the top of the first lift hill. That first drop is coming, and I'm excited.
> 
> In the meantime, please enjoy chapter 10!

Watanuki hadn't really brought outdoor clothes or supplies with him, because why would he, but he did the best he could, changing into something more casual and lathering on sunblock and bug spray from their suite's bathroom. He and Doumeki then picked up the bottles of water inn staff had left for them when they'd come to put away the futon and headed out through the courtyard and into the lobby where the hiking group was to congregate. One of the doctors, apparently leading the expedition, stood by the reception desk dressed, in sharp contrast to Dr. Sakurai's suit, in full camping gear. Watanuki and Doumeki spotted Yuriko and Renjiro at once, and they waved them over. Yuriko was still wearing her huge sweatshirt, but had swapped her jeans for yoga pants.

"Hi," she said, sounding like she had a bad cold.

"Hi," said Watanuki, and his concern for her was like a lifeline against the tide of whatever Dr. Sakurai had unearthed inside him.

"Good morning!" their guide called, and everyone in the group turned to look at him. However, Watanuki barely listened to his warnings about sticking together and not going off the designated trails: he was too distracted by Yuriko's churning emotions, or were they his own?

"Are you okay?" Watanuki asked her, under his breath, tugging on his lifeline even though it might pull him somewhere dangerous.

"What? Yeah of course, we just-" but at that moment the group began to walk out the front door, around the side of the building and up into the surrounding pine forest. To Watanuki's relief, the path was clear, flat and wide, not at all the intense mountaineering he'd feared. As the thick trees closed in around them, the smell of the pine and the soft sunlight soothed Watanuki's pounding heart and burning throat, and the tension in his chest eased a little in spite of himself. Beside him, Yuriko shuddered and shoved her hands deeper into her pockets.

"How did your session go?" he asked her, tentatively.

"I have no idea," she replied, her eyes fixed upon her husband's back as he walked beside Doumeki. "I have no idea what I'm doing. What we're doing." She swallowed.

"Are you not committed to staying together?" Watanuki asked, thinking of Dr. Sakurai's question.

"No, I am," replied Yuriko at once, "it just seems like it's pointless. I can't do anything right recently, every fight is my fault and I don't know how to make it better."

"I'm sorry," said Watanuki, acutely aware of her pain in his own chest. "How long have you been feeling this way?" The path curved suddenly and they began to climb a sloping hill.

"The last few months. I thought I was depressed or something, so I've tried all these things, but nothing helps. Poor Renjiro must be disgusted with me." Her voice broke and she wiped her eyes with her sleeve. Watanuki recalled Renjiro sitting beside her at breakfast, acting so loving and tender towards her, and thought this unlikely, but he doubted pointing it out would be helpful. Up ahead, Doumeki placed an encouraging hand on Renjiro's shoulder.

"I'm sorry," said Watanuki again, because it was all he could think of to say, and they were silent until they reached the top of the hill. The trees suddenly cleared, revealing a glorious view of the inn and the sparkling ocean below. Watanuki paused to take a sip of water while Yuriko unzipped her sweatshirt. It was the first time he'd seen it undone, and he noticed at once the delicate gold necklace she wore. "That necklace is beautiful," he said, though as he looked at it properly he experienced a sudden wave of dizziness.

"Oh, thank you," she replied, fingering the chain tenderly. Watanuki's stomach lurched as she looked him in the eye. Just like at breakfast, something shifted in her expression, and her eyes seemed to flash. "Can I have a sip of your water?" she asked, her tone suddenly sharp, confident and demanding.

"What?" asked Watanuki, perplexed, and both Doumeki and Renjiro turned around.

"Your water, can I have a sip?" asked Yuriko again, tilting her head to the side. Watanuki pressed his free hand to his mouth, but before he could swallow his nausea and reply, Yuriko seized the bottle from him and drank greedily from it. She swallowed the water with relish, then handed the bottle back to him with a smile that, along with her dark under eye circles, the low light and their previous conversation, looked rather sinister. Her eyes flashed again, and Watanuki stepped back, his hand still pressed over his mouth and mind spinning sickeningly.

"Hey." Watanuki felt strong, warm hands on his shoulders and his dizzying sickness abated immediately. "Let's go back to the room if you aren't feeling well," Doumeki whispered in his ear. Watanuki tried to argue, but Doumeki was already making their excuses and half carrying him back down the hill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was that a clue? I think it might have been a clue! Stay tuned!
> 
> I think of comments and kudos when I summon my kekkai, leave me some!


	11. The Premonition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good evening again, everyone!
> 
> Sorry for another late night update, I spent most of the day helping someone out with another writing project, so I didn't have much energy to edit my own work until a little bit ago. I'm pretty sure it came out okay, but still, I'm a little nervous, especially because I like this chapter a lot, short as it is. Watanuki continues to be adorable and Doumeki continues to be awesome. I can really feel things shifting between them now, and I hope you all can too!
> 
> I think that's it... All right, enjoy, have a wonderful night if your longitude is close to mine!

* * *

"I'm- I'm fine!" Watanuki protested weakly all the way back to their room, "and I keep telling you to get off me!" Doumeki ignored him and half carried him over their suite's threshold. As it was barely lunch time, their single futon hadn't been laid out yet, so Doumeki led Watanuki out onto the back porch and helped him into one of the chairs. Watanuki's face burned with humiliation and he kept up a fluent stream of moans and curses until Doumeki finally let go of him. The moment he did, any remaining strength left Watanuki, and he leaned back against the chair and closed his eyes. He felt Doumeki gently remove his glasses, then place a warm hand on his forehead, but he couldn't muster the energy to fight him off.

"Hey," said Doumeki, softly, right in his ear, "rest here."

"Not… Hey…" Watanuki managed to reply, before passing out cold.

For a long time, all was blackness, but then he saw Yuriko, dressed in a white nightgown and standing under what seemed to be a single yellow spotlight. She looked up at Watanuki and smiled what at first seemed a real, genuine smile, but then her face contorted as her fine gold necklace tightened around her throat, then pulled up as though to hang her. Her eyes bulged and she tore fiercely at the chain, fighting for breath, unable to even cry, then-

"AH!" Just like the night before, Watanuki sat bolt upright, gasping and shuddering and looking wildly around, though nothing would focus, but then he realized he wasn't wearing his glasses. He felt for them on the arm of the chair and shoved them on, and the porch and beach came into focus again. He got shakily to his feet, almost knocking over a glass of water sitting on the floor beside him. How did that get there? Doumeki must have- "Doumeki!" Watanuki demanded of the air. He'd have thought he'd be sitting beside him, just like he had done last night, but, "Doumeki!" he called again. Realizing how dry his mouth and throat were, he seized the glass of water and drained half of it in one gulp, still looking around wildly, his heart pounding.

However, he spotted Doumeki almost at once, hurrying up from the ocean in his bathing suit, soaking wet and silhouetted by the sun setting behind him. Watanuki would never say out loud how comforting this vision was after his nightmare, so instead he yelled, "What the hell were you doing?!" the moment he was in earshot.

"Swimming while I waited for you to wake up," Doumeki replied, stepping up onto the porch and seizing the towel he'd apparently left hung over the railing to dry his hair.

"You didn't sit next to me watching me sleep like a creep this time?" asked Watanuki through gritted teeth.

"Only for the first twenty minutes," replied Doumeki, before covering his ears.

"WHAT IF SOMETHING HAD HAPPENED?!"

"I'd have heard, I was paying attention," replied Doumeki, easily, wrapping the towel around his waist so that it absorbed the beads of seawater trailing down his bare chest. Watanuki flushed and his grip tightened around his glass of water. "Why, did something happen?" Doumeki suddenly sounded serious.

"No! Well, I had another dream…" Doumeki's eyes widened as much as they ever did. "Can't you put on a shirt?!"

"Was the dream about Yuriko again?" Watanuki shuddered as he remembered and took a sip of water before answering.

"Did you see the necklace she was wearing? I think that's what's causing her strange behavior." He stared meaningfully at Doumeki. "I don't know if it's cursed or what, but she told me on the hike that she'd been completely fine until a few months ago, and I'll bet you anything that was when she started wearing it."

"Anything?" asked Doumeki, but Watanuki was too focused to hear, and therefore to be annoyed, for once.

"We've got to get it away from her," he said, staring off into the sunset.

"We have to get it away from her without _you_ getting sick or hurt," Doumeki corrected him.

"Shut up, that's not the point!" Watanuki glared at Doumeki again, and as their eyes met, a sudden breeze rustled through the trees, carrying the usual scents of pine and saltwater, but also it seemed, Dr. Sakurai's words from their session a million years ago.

"Don't you think you deserve to be cared about and looked after?"

"At the very least," said Doumeki, slowly, the orange glow of the sunset catching the water droplets still clinging to his chest and shoulders, "she seems to trust you, or at least is more forthcoming with you, so _you'll_ need to get the necklace from her."

"I suppose so," Watanuki muttered, drinking the rest of his water. "We could probably destroy it with your bow, right? Assuming it's nothing too powerful." He nodded into the room to avoid looking at Doumeki, who replied,

"I think so. See, I was right to bring it after all."

"At least you're not totally useless," conceded Watanuki. "We'll probably see her and Renjiro when we go to dinner, and we can figure out what to do from there, so- DON'T TRACK SAND INTO THE ROOM, WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Watanuki you put up with so much. I have to say, I'd be comforted by that sunset vision too~
> 
> I think of comments and kudos when I summon my kekkai, leave me some!


	12. The Drawback

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello hello!
> 
> Is anyone else stuck in this snowstorm?! It's crazy! Last night when I turned off my lights it was still so bright in my room from the snow reflecting all the streetlights. It was really beautiful though, also quiet, which is always nice.
> 
> Anyway, the title of this chapter is a reference to the ocean receding before a tsunami, which I think will make sense as you read it. I hope you enjoy it despite the tension!

Unfortunately, Yuriko and Renjiro weren't at dinner, nor were they signed up for any of the evening activities when Doumeki asked the front desk.

"I hope they're all right," said Watanuki, his chest squeezing painfully around his throbbing heart.

"Me too," said Doumeki, and Watanuki knew a totally foreign but strangely comforting rush of solidarity.

"They're probably just having dinner in their room, right?"

"Most likely. Let's eat and decide what to do from there."

"You're such a glutton…"

They returned to the dining hall and sat down at a table with three other couples in varying stages and flavors of conflict. Observing from a distance, Watanuki felt sorry for all of them, trying to reach the person they love and getting rebuffed, seething with resentment or else just having grown apart so much that bridging the gap seemed impossible. At some point, Doumeki placed his hand on Watanuki's thigh under the table, but he didn't fight it off. The solidarity was again weirdly comforting: in the face of all this conflict, it was nice to know that he was on a team with _someone_ , even if it was someone he'd never actually want to be on a team with and was forced to be by circumstances.

They stayed for dessert, hoping Yuriko or Renjiro would appear, but no such luck, and Watanuki could barely enjoy the strawberry shortcake for worry. "Yours is better anyway," Doumeki reminded him under his breath, still holding tight to his thigh.

"Shut up," Watanuki replied, because as usual he didn't want to admit Doumeki was right. They hung around until the evening activities were due to start, then returned defeated to their room, the lanterns in the courtyard glowing especially brightly under the clear, starry sky.

"What do you think we should do?" asked Doumeki, unlocking the door to their room. Watanuki sighed, his stomach churning fearfully.

"I don't know. I almost want to just go knock on their door, but-"

"-that probably won't be received well," Doumeki finished the sentence for him. Their one futon was laid out for them, along with a tray of sweets, a bottle of chilled sake and two glasses. Doumeki picked up the bottle at once, but Watanuki knew a pang for those couples who were still struggling. Such a presumptuous gesture would surely seem like a slap in the face. "Have some," said Doumeki, pouring two glasses and thrusting one at Watanuki.

"Why are-"

"Didn't Dr. Sakurai say you should stop questioning my motives?" asked Doumeki, his expression and tone as bored as ever. Watanuki's face burned and he cried out in frustration, immediately and completely distracted from his worry about the other couples.

"You are _such_ a- I don't even- IDIOT!" However, he seized the glass and drained it. At least it was good sake. "I'm going to take a bath! You-" he pointed threateningly at Doumeki, "-stay here!" Doumeki said nothing, just fixed him with his usual deadpan gaze and let out what might have been a sigh.

"Can I at least drink my sake out on the porch?" Watanuki just replied with another furious cry and stormed into the bathroom.

Just like last night, Watanuki took as long as he could, then emerged, clean and dry in his yukata and climbed under the blankets, staying as close as possible to the edge of the futon while Doumeki got ready for bed. Tonight, however, before he turned out the lights, he laid his bow on the floor beside the futon. "What's that for?" asked Watanuki, rolling over in spite of himself as Doumeki got into bed beside him.

"Just a feeling I might need it," he replied. The soft glow of the porch light illuminated Doumeki's face through the blue black night.

"Without arrows?" Watanuki asked, and the corner of Doumeki's mouth actually twitched.

"Only magic." Outside, a motorboat drove past in the distance, sending wake crashing onto the shore.

"Well good. Keep me safe. See? I'm asking you to this time!" said Watanuki, though his tone made it clear he absolutely did not think Doumeki capable of such a thing.

"Good night," said Doumeki, still with that almost smile. Watanuki rolled over grumpily, uncomfortably aware of how close he still was to Doumeki but not bothering to move. He closed his eyes and fell asleep quickly, despite how much he'd slept that afternoon.

' _Keep me safe. See? I'm asking you to this time!_ '

' _From who?_ '

' _From you._ '

' _Me?_ '

' _You._ '

' _But I need you! Please! You're the only one who can help me!_ ' Yuriko was standing before him in the same white nightdress, looking gaunt and exhausted, her necklace glowing eerily about her throat. ' _Please! Come find me! I'm by the beach!_ '

Watanuki's eyes flew open and he sat up, gasping, Yuriko's calls for help still echoing inside his head and chest.

' _Please help me!_ '

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please be careful, Watanuki!
> 
> I think of comments and kudos when I summon my kekkai, leave me some!


	13. The Confrontation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone!
> 
> Jeez sorry it's been so long since I updated, I promise I didn't do it on purpose! I didn't even realize it had been this long? and honestly I have no excuse other than I got distracted by a cosplay project and just generally can't conceptualize time. I realize also that I left you all on sort of a cliffhanger, which was a dick move on my part and I'm sorry.
> 
> Anyway, enough excuses, I hope this chapter was worth the wait!

Watanuki fumbled for his glasses and shoved them on, staring around frantically. The room was empty, but he was sure he'd heard, no _felt_ , the words in his head and chest.

"Yuriko?" he whispered.

' _Come outside!_ '

Without pausing to think, Watanuki scrambled to his feet and sprinted out onto the dark, empty beach. "Yuriko?" he called, but only the lapping waves answered. A sudden breeze blew up around him, lifting the sand and raising the hairs on the back of his neck.

' _In the forest!_ '

Watanuki looked around frantically and caught sight of an entrance to a lantern lit path off in the distance. He sprinted towards it, sending sand flying.

' _Hurry, please!_ '

"I'm coming!"

He paused at the foot of the path to catch his breath, then hurried into the forest, the piney smell filling his nostrils and darkness pressing upon his eyes. "Yuriko?!" he called, devoutly thankful for the red orange glow of the lanterns the deeper he went. It was amazing how much darker places were without all the light pollution of a major city. An owl hooted off in the distance and Watanuki stopped again and bent over, his hands gripping his knees, the soles of his bare feet burning from running and breath coming in sharp gasps. "Yuriko?!" he called again, sounding increasingly desperate. "Where are you?!"

"Watanuki?" He started and turned, knowing a moment of pure terror as Yuriko appeared out of the darkness like a ghost, wearing that same white nightdress from his dreams and looking pale and gaunt.

"There you are," he said, though this vision wasn't at all reassuring and his heart was pounding faster than ever. "Are you okay? I was worried about you when I didn't see you at dinner." She tilted her head to the side, and as her hair fell away, her gold necklace stood out grotesquely against the tendons in her neck.

"You were worried?" she asked, coming closer. Watanuki took a sharp breath in and knew a powerful wave of nausea, but stood his ground.

"Of course! But Yuriko, I think I know what's wrong, I think I can help you!"

"There is no help," she replied, simply, and her mouth slit open into a sinister smile. "I'm leaving my husband. He can't help me, he's rejected me…" She was coming closer, backlit by the lantern though her eyes still seemed to glow. Watanuki continued to stand his ground, pressing the back of his hand against his mouth. However, very suddenly he realized _just_ how alone he was and wished more than anything that he'd woken Doumeki. He had no weapons with which to defend himself, or even a shield against her magic's influence.

"I'm sure that's not true!" he cried, terrified, his heart pounding and throat throbbing sickeningly. "It wouldn't be if he knew the truth!"

"The truth?" Yuriko laughed, and the sound made Watanuki's skin crawl. "That everything's my fault? That I'm defective? That I ruined our relationship?"

"No!" Watanuki exclaimed, doing his utmost not to be sick. "It's your necklace! I think there's something in it that's making you feel this way, it's not your fault! I can help you, please!" Yuriko laughed softly again and stepped right up into Watanuki's space. Her eyes glowed red in the lantern light.

"No one can help me, Kimihiro Watanuki…" Frozen with fear and sickness, Watanuki couldn't even cry out as she leaned in closer, her lips parted, but then,

"Stop!"

In the split second of Yuriko's distraction, Watanuki scrambled away and looked around wildly for who had spoken. Though of course, he knew from the fact that he had stopped feeling sick that it was Doumeki, standing under a lantern with his bow drawn, Renjiro beside him looking petrified.

"Yuriko!" he cried in a broken voice.

"We have to get that necklace off of her!" Watanuki yelled, his voice shaking but determined, "but be _careful!_ " Renjiro and Doumeki exchanged a brief nod, then charged forward.

"NO! STAY AWAY!" shrieked Yuriko, looking utterly deranged in the black night and red orange light. However, Renjiro threw his arms around her and held her steady from behind, pinning her arms by her sides.

"I _won't_ stay away! You're suffering and I can't stand it! I love you more than _anything_ , Yuriko, do you understand that?!" She screamed and struggled as Watanuki seized the necklace's gold chain, which was hot to the touch and pulsing as if it had a heartbeat. Repulsed, but determined, Watanuki swallowed a fresh wave of sickness and managed to break the chain at one of the fine gold loops near the clasp. He threw it onto the ground where it twitched horribly in the red light.

"NO!" screamed Yuriko, but Doumeki raised his bow, drew back an arrow of pure white light, then released it. It shot right through the pendant, shattering it in a blinding blaze. Yuriko let out a piercing scream, and as the light faded slowly into a shimmering haze her body stiffened grotesquely, then went limp in Renjiro's arms. There was a soft hissing noise and all four of them heard one final scream in their chests.

Then all was still.

Watanuki stared, horrified, at the necklace for a moment, but then he heard a soft thud and turned sharply around. Renjiro had sunk to his knees, still holding Yuriko cradled in his arms. "Yuriko!" Watanuki cried, and he and Doumeki were at his side at once. "Yuriko?!" Watanuki repeated, terrified. Renjiro shook her gently, then began to cry when she didn't respond. "Yuriko, please wake up!" Doumeki placed his hand on Watanuki's shoulder, but he didn't shrug it off. Instead he turned to face him, his eyes wide with fear. "Should we call Yuuko-san? I-"

"Wait," said Doumeki, firmly but not unkindly, giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze. Watanuki fell silent and turned back to Yuriko, staring at her so hard it was as if he could will her to consciousness with just a look. He bit down on his lip to stifle the frightened cries trying to escape his throat, and for a moment the only sounds were the forest, the ocean and Renjiro's crying. A soft breeze rustled the trees, then,

"What…" Yuriko began to stir, and all three of them cried out in relief. Renjiro helped her sit up, then took off the jacket he was wearing over his pajamas and draped it around her shoulders. She rubbed her eyes and looked around, clearly bewildered to find herself outside. "What happened? Why am I-" she spotted Doumeki and Watanuki and covered her mouth against her cry of surprise. "What happened?!" she asked again. "The last thing I remember is the hike, but then-"

"It's all right, you're safe now," Watanuki told her, unable to stand it. "It was your necklace!"

"My what?" Watanuki gestured at its remains in the pool of lantern light. "Oh! Oh my- What do you mean? What does that have to do with anything?"

"Let me explain," said Watanuki, as calmly as he could. Yuriko still looked utterly bewildered, but nodded. Doumeki took his hand off Watanuki's shoulder and placed it in Renjiro's upper back to soothe his continued crying. "Doumeki and I, we're not actually a couple thinking of divorcing," Watanuki began, "I'm sorry for lying to you, but we actually work for a shop that, well its real function is to grant wishes, but our boss collects and trades in magical objects." Doumeki raised his eyebrows at the "we," but Watanuki didn't notice, he was staring too intently at Yuriko, willing her to understand. "She sent us here to find something, she said we'd know when we saw it, and it ended up being your necklace. I think there must have been some kind of curse on it, but I'm no expert, really…" He knew he wasn't doing a good job explaining, but Yuriko's eyes widened.

"I got the necklace from an antique jewelry store, I didn't think there was anything weird about it," she said, but then gasped, "but that was when we started having problems, wasn't it?" She turned to Renjiro, who was still crying without restraint. "I had no idea what had come over me! It was like I couldn't express myself, or all my words were just," but she broke off, clutching her chest. "Oh no, Ren… I'm so, _so_ sorry!" Renjiro's crying doubled in intensity and he held Yuriko tightly to his chest, his tears falling into her hair. Doumeki and Watanuki drew back a bit to give them a moment, but then Yuriko carefully pulled away from her husband's embrace, held the sides of his face and kissed him on both eyelids before once more addressing Watanuki. "So you're telling me I wasn't crazy? That it was the necklace making me act that way?"

"Yes," said Watanuki, his throat burning, "but Doumeki destroyed it, so you shouldn't have anything more to worry about." Yuriko closed her eyes in a moment of sheer relief, and when she opened them she was staring fiercely at Watanuki and extended her hand. Watanuki took it, and experienced no physical symptoms for the first time.

"Thank you," she told him, her fierce tone matching her expression as she squeezed his hand almost painfully hard. Watanuki just nodded, unsure what to say, but then she let go of his hand and stroked her husband's hair. "Ren?" He wiped his eyes and looked her in the face. "I am so, _so_ sorry for how I treated you," she said, very seriously.

"It's-" he started to say, but,

"No. I know it wasn't my fault if I really was cursed, but I'm so sorry for how I behaved. Even at the time I knew it was wrong, but it was like I had no other option, like I'd lost control over my own feelings or something, and I couldn't even explain it to you!" Her eyes filled with tears. "I can't imagine how much that must have hurt you, or how scary that must have been, and I'm so, _so_ sorry. I want to use the rest of our time here to recover from this, and if there's anything I can do that will help, please tell me!" Renjiro just nodded, tears still pouring down his face. "Can you forgive me?"

"Of course," he said, and he kissed her soundly on the lips before hugging her tight against his chest. Doumeki's hand was back on Watanuki's shoulder, and again, he didn't shrug it away.

"Thank you," Yuriko told Doumeki and Watanuki again, tearfully, and both of them smiled real, genuine smiles. Watanuki felt his heart skip; he'd never seen Doumeki smile like that. Doumeki extended his hand and helped all three of them to their feet. Renjiro made sure Yuriko was steady, then seized Watanuki and pulled him into a rib cracking hug.

"Thank you so much!" he whispered.

"It's, it's nothing!" Watanuki cried, his face burning. "It's just part of the job!" He felt almost overwhelmed by their gratitude, but of course he was thrilled to have been able to help. Renjiro let go of him and hugged Doumeki too, and his face broke into that smile again. "You must be exhausted," Watanuki said to Yuriko, who nodded, still smiling tearfully. Renjiro let go of Doumeki and took her hand.

"Let's go back."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY! Seems like everything is going to be all right, although we all know Doumeki and Watanuki still have more to talk about. Also Yuriko's apology game is on point, like, that's enviable!
> 
> I think of comments and kudos when I summon my kekkai, leave me some!


	14. The Pause

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good evening, everyone!
> 
> It's another late night update because my sleep schedule's been weird the last few days. I thought it was just from finally starting Attack on Titan after my friends telling me to watch it for years, but it turns out there's something funny going on astrologically so everyone's having a hard time. Sad, yet strangely comforting! So I was napping when I had originally planned on editing and posting this. My bad!
> 
> Anyway, this another chapter I really, really love. Anyone who's read my work knows I'm a sucker for beach scenes, especially at night, especially when they're romantic, ahh~ Also I think poor Doumeki needed to blow off some steam after the craziness of the last chapter, and it never fails to make me laugh.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did!

Doumeki hurried to pick up the charred remains of the necklace, then both couples walked back down the path towards the ocean. The forest was now content and sleepy rather than dark and forbidding, the lanterns comforting rather than ominous. They reached the end of the path where they'd have to part ways for the night, and all four of them faced each other.

"We'll see you in the morning," Doumeki told Yuriko and Renjiro.

"You will," agreed Yuriko, "I'd like to hear more about this shop that grants wishes, if you're allowed to talk about it." She looked exhausted, but positively euphoric, squeezing Renjiro's hand.

"Definitely, we've got some good stories," said Watanuki, smiling back at her.

"Have a good rest of your night, then," said Renjiro, and he and Yuriko headed back around the inn's main building while Doumeki and Watanuki made for the beach. They walked side by side in silence, the crashing waves and other night sounds filling the space. A soft breeze blew up around them, carrying on it the smells of the saltwater and pine trees and the optimism that came with solving their case, but there was something else, too. Something they'd found without looking for that they couldn't quite name yet.

"Hey," said Doumeki, when they were back in front of their suite.

"My name's not 'hey!'" snapped Watanuki as usual. Doumeki just took a step closer to him. "What?" Watanuki demanded, his heart speeding up and eyes widening as he stared into Doumeki's face, his eyes sharp and purposeful and lips slightly parted. He carefully lay his bow and the remains of the necklace down on the porch steps, then reached forward and gently removed Watanuki's glasses, folded them and set them down beside them. Watanuki balled his hands into fists. "Just what the _hell_ do you think you're doing?" However, to his surprise and embarrassment, his protest came out in a choked whisper. Apparently unwilling to explain himself, Doumeki took hold of Watanuki's wrist, and his fist unbound at once as he felt the touch all the way up his arm. "Why…?" Doumeki leaned in closer…

…then used Watanuki's arm as leverage to lift him over his shoulder into a fireman's carry.

"HEY! PUT ME DOWN!" Watanuki screamed, outraged, but Doumeki just turned and headed towards the ocean. "PUT ME DOWN, YOU CREEP!" Watanuki struggled and thrashed like a caught fish as Doumeki actually stepped into the water. "NO!" But it was no good. Doumeki paused when he was waist deep in the crashing waves.

"This is for going out to find Yuriko without waking me up _right_ _after_ telling me to keep you safe." And he threw Watanuki into the ocean.

"AH!" Watanuki fell with a loud splash and was immediately bowled over by a wave. Disoriented, he managed to find the sea floor and clamber to his feet again, gasping and shuddering and buffeted by more waves. "WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR?!"

"I just told you," replied Doumeki, simply.

"You-" Clumsy in his soaked through yukata, Watanuki lunged at Doumeki, jumped into his arms and knocked him into the water too. If Doumeki cried out, Watanuki didn't hear it as they both fell under the waves, entangled with each other and their clothes and the water, until they emerged above the surface again, up to their chests now. "That's what you get!" gasped Watanuki, brushing his wet hair out of his eyes with one hand and jabbing Doumeki sharply in the breastbone with the index finger of the other. However, Doumeki took hold of Watanuki's wrist, and just like last time, his frustrated fist unbound at once. He pressed Watanuki's now open palm flush up against his chest, and he gasped, looking between his hand and Doumeki's face and once more feeling the touch up his arm. Doumeki's expression was almost forcefully serious in the star strewn darkness, and Watanuki could feel his pounding heart and shallow breath under his palm.

"Don't ever do anything like that again," he said, his voice so low that Watanuki barely heard it over the crashing waves. "I know you only asked me to keep you safe as a joke, but it's still my choice what I do. I'm not asking you to be grateful, but I think it would be good for both of us if you started valuing your life a little." The ocean continued to lap against them, but somehow they remained grounded on the sandy sea floor.

"I," Watanuki started to say, though with no real plan for how to continue the sentence, and then,

"Maybe rather than questioning Shizuka's motives or getting frustrated by his actions, you might start to look at why you don't think someone would care about you or look after you without hoping to gain something."

Watanuki's breath caught in his chest, and as he looked into Doumeki's face, still forcefully serious, he felt like he'd had the wind knocked out of him by Dr. Sakurai's words yet again. He swallowed, the waves gently pushing him back and forth, but still he and Doumeki remained grounded. "I, I'm sorry I worried you," he said, eventually. He thought of Yuriko's apology to Renjiro and his face burned. However, Doumeki nodded, then turned and dragged Watanuki from the water by the wrist he was still gripping tightly. "Hey! What are you doing now?! Let go of me!"

"Did you want me to just leave you there?" asked Doumeki in his usual tone without bothering to turn around. As the water got shallower and shallower, more and more of Doumeki's back became visible. Illuminated by the moon, stars and distant porch light, Watanuki could see every contour under the wet cotton, his shoulders, his back, his hips and his- Watanuki flushed and turned away, then yanked his hand out of Doumeki's grip the moment they were back on dry land.

"I get to rinse off first," he informed him in a dignified voice, rushing to pick up his glasses and uncomfortably aware of how clearly he could still see Doumeki's body under the thin, soaked through cotton. "Since _you_ threw me into the ocean!" He knew Doumeki was watching him, knew his own body was just as visible under his own wet yukata, and his already flushed face burned even hotter. However, before Doumeki could actually say anything, Watanuki hurried back inside, careful not to track sand into the room.

A half hour later, they were both rinsed off, dressed in fresh nightclothes and back in bed, on their sides facing away from each other and exhausted from the night's events. Watanuki had the impression Doumeki was waiting for him to fall asleep first, just like last night, and knew a sudden burning in his chest.

"Don't you think you deserve to be cared about and looked after?"

Sighing irritably, Watanuki inched closer and allowed their backs to touch. Almost at once, he fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That big tsunami is still drawing back, I'd say. Let's watch it crash next chapter!
> 
> I think of comments and kudos when I summon my kekkai, leave me some!


	15. The Crash

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Lunar New Year to everyone celebrating!
> 
> I feel like it's been a long time since my last update again, and I'm sorry about that. As usual I can't conceptualize time but also I got insanely caught up with my other big project (shameless plug time: hit me up this summer for a dope Code Geass AU!) and it was super stressful, so I had nothing left for this, especially for this surprisingly intense chapter. Fortunately I had today off and was able to devote my full attention to it, and I'm super pleased with the result so hopefully you all will be too. FINALLY WE'RE AT THE TIDAL WAVE CRASH.
> 
> This chapter hit me kind of personally, because from my own experiences with making big life changes, I can confirm it's hard and tempting to stay where you are rather than face it. Watanuki is so sweet to acknowledge all that, and honestly to give himself a break about it.
> 
> As usual a huge thank you to everyone who's kept up with me this whole time, your love and support mean the absolute world to me! We're almost at the end, in fact I think the next chapter might end up a little... Well I don't wanna spoil it! Enjoy this for now.

Rays of sunlight peeked through the open porch doors, gently waking Watanuki as they fell across his face. He groaned, but didn't open his eyes. The air was cool and clear and salty, and under the covers he was warm and content beside Doumeki. He shifted a little, hoping to go back to sleep, but then realized Doumeki must have rolled over during the night, because he now had his chest up against his back and his arm draped over him. Their hearts beat in sync, they breathed together, they were both…

Watanuki's eyes flew open and he flushed deeply, but didn't pull away. It was the morning, it was to be expected. He shifted again, and Doumeki sighed softly in his sleep and pulled him closer, breathing quietly against the back of his neck. Unsure what to do, Watanuki stared across the room at the half drunk bottle of sake from the night before, glinting in the fresh sunlight.

"Have some," Doumeki had said. At the time it had seemed like a taunt, but-

"Ten."

"I didn't do any of that because I wanted something from you."

Doumeki had said it all so seriously, and Watanuki had just taken it as their cover story, but now, lying together this way in the freshly minted dawn, after everything that had happened this weekend, he knew instinctively that he'd only been able to come up with the cover story in the first place because of how he felt.

' _But how long has he felt this way?_ ' thought Watanuki. He tried to turn over, to see Doumeki's face properly, but he let out a soft, sleepy groan and held Watanuki in place, his lips still millimeters from his neck and hips pressing up against him. Watanuki's face burned and he closed his eyes, picturing Doumeki clearly in his mind's eye. He shivered, wondering further, ' _And how long have I pretended not to notice?_ ' He felt a shift deep inside, in that same place he'd heard and felt Yuriko's voice the night before, sending a sudden wave of emotion out through his body. ' _And how long have I pretended not to notice?_ ' he asked himself again, though it was a slightly different question now. Another wave of emotion rose and crashed inside him, and he knew a sudden, crippling fear and wished more than anything they never had to talk about it, but,

"It was like I had no other option, like I'd lost control over my own feelings or something, and I couldn't even explain it to you!"

Watanuki bit back a soft cry as another wave of emotion smashed against the inside of his chest, carrying with it a profound sympathy for all the couples here. Everyone at this retreat was just trying to understand themselves, their words and their feelings, and it was _hard_. His throat and eyes burned and waves of emotion continued to crash and pound inside him. It was _hard_ and it was _painful_ and most people couldn't just take off an enchanted object and suddenly manage it. ' _No wonder people would rather stay where they are, even if they aren't happy,_ ' he thought. More crashing waves, more pained sympathy and understanding, and it was overwhelming. He wanted to get out of bed, move away, distract himself, but Doumeki was holding him too tightly. He was stuck in this maelstrom of emotions, staring whatever had shifted right in the face. He shuddered, and the feelings finally burst their bounds and he began to cry, his entire body shaking with the force of it.

"Don't you think you deserve to be cared about and looked after?"

"I think it would be good for both of us if you started valuing your life a little."

"I'm so, _so_ sorry…"

As Watanuki cried, he felt everything he'd kept bottled up inside washed away by his tears, carried out to sea on the receding tidal wave. He cried for everything he felt and for some things he didn't. He cried for what he'd said in the past and what he'd have to say in the future. He cried for all the couples here, for Sumire and Fujito, for Yuriko and Renjiro. He cried for Dr. Sakurai, for Yuuko, for Himawari, for Doumeki, and even, as he was falling asleep again, for himself.

An hour or so later, both Doumeki and Watanuki began to stir, disentangling themselves from the blankets and each other. "Good morning," said Doumeki, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. Watanuki swallowed, all the more aware that something between them had shifted as he stared into Doumeki's face. How he hadn't woken him up with his crying was beyond him, but he certainly wasn't going to complain. Doumeki's eyes widened as much as they ever did when he was concerned, but Watanuki forestalled him before he could actually say anything.

"I'm going to call Yuuko-san before we go to breakfast," he informed him in a dignified voice.

"Will she be awake?"

"Yes. Probably hungover, but that's her problem." The corner of Doumeki's mouth twitched and Watanuki's heart skipped.

"Make me some tea before you leave."

"YOU CAN GET TEA AT BREAKFAST!"

"But yours is much better." Watanuki glared at Doumeki, seething, but comforted to know that not _everything_ had to be different.

"Fine," he growled, resentfully, getting up to fill the kettle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, next chapter's gonna be something.
> 
> I think of comments and kudos when I summon my kekkai, leave me some!

**Author's Note:**

> It shouldn't be this fun to torture Watanuki, and yet...
> 
> I think of comments and kudos when I summon my kekkai, leave me some!


End file.
